book chapter

Witchcraft among the Tapanahoni Djuka

maroon societies : rebel slave communities in the americas • Baltimore • Published In 1979 • Pages: 370-388

By: Wetering, Wilhelmina van.

Abstract

This article is excerpted from a larger work by Wetering, 'The Dynamics of Witchcraft Accusations in Tapanahoni Djuka Society.' According to Wetering, witchcraft accusations involve not only the accuser and the accused, but also the community and its leaders. This larger social field includes the localized lineage and village ward, priests of the cult of the Great Deity who supervise the post-mortem inquest to determine the moral status of the deceased, and the grave diggers who actually carry out the divination. Accusations occur within wards and between wards and express the social tensions that exist within and between these fundamental social groupings. Priests who are often village leaders have the power to validate witchcraft accusations and are guided by their interest to keep the peace among wards and lineages. The grave diggers are saavy to the general consensus within lineages and wards and will act accordingly. The relative status of accuser and accused will affect the number of people mobilized on one's behalf and will also influence the outcome of a witchcraft trial.

HRAF PubDate

1998

Region

South America

Sub Region

Amazon and Orinoco

Document Type

book chapter

Evaluation

Creator Type

Ethnologist

Document Rating

5: Excellent Primary Data

Analyst

Ian Skoggard ; 1997

Field Date

1961-1962

Coverage Date

1950-1965

Coverage Place

Tapanahoni river, Suriname

Notes

W. van Wetering

Includes bibliographical references (p. 388)

LCCN

79016806

LCSH

Djuka people